The Polish dessert has become a staple on Mardi Gras as a means of using extra dough, fat and sugar before the fasting of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

In celebration of the holiday, many Polish and American bakeries across the state are providing their own spins on the paczki.

"This was originally a Polish neighborhood down here, and the tradition here is that it just keeps getting bigger and bigger each year," National Bakery co-owner Jeff Callen said.

National Bakery in Milwaukee has been preparing for this day with workers arriving at 6 p.m. Monday to begin baking their treats. Workers filled an order of 65 dozen on Monday for a company that was treating its employees.

For many true and honorary Polish descendents, they'll line up at the bakery Tuesday to get their fill. And they line up early.

"They started here about 4:30 this morning, and we opened at 6 a.m.," Callen said.

The bakery expected to sell more than 36,000 paczkis Tuesday.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wanted to take part in the tradition.

"I thought I'd get some for my staff, get some for my wife and kids, and what I find is that if you eat fewer than a dozen, they're really healthy for you," Barrett said.

SCHEDULED TO OPEN NEXT YEAR. TODAY IS PACZKI DAY-- THE DAY WHEN PEOPLE LINE UP AT MILWAUKEE'S NATIONAL BAKERY TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THE SWEET TREATS. NEW AT SIX: WISN 12 NEWS BEN HUTCHISON SHOWS US SPELLING "PACZKI" IS A LOT HARDER THAN EATING THE TRADITIONAL POLISH JELLY DONUTS. THE FINISHING TOUCHES ARE PUT ON PACZKI'S AT NATIONAL BAKERY ON MILWAUKEE'S SOUTHSIDE ... OUTSIDE...A GLAZE OF SNOW COVERS THE LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THE STORE TO OPEN... SO CLOSE BUT SO FAR FROM PACZKI'S...BOO! AT 6 AM...IN THEY WENT ...EACH RECEIVING A CHECKLIST FOR THEIR ORDER... WORTH IT, WORTH THE WAIT JELLY, PRUNE... RASPBERRY...AND RAISIN TO NAME A FEW TYPES TO CHOOSE FROM... NATS OF MUSIC BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE ... HOW DO YOU SPELL PACZKI? P-A-C-Z-S-K-I. ALMOST GOT IT. NATS OF OPENING AND CLOSING MOUTH BIG QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPELL PACZKI? NOT ON TELEVISION I DON'T! P-A-C-Z-K-I...MAYOR TOM BARRETT WANTED TO TAKE PART TO CELEBRATE THE POLISH TRADITION ... I THOUGHT I'D GET SOME FOR MY STAFF, GET SOME FOR MY WIFE AND KIDS AND WHAT I FIND IS THAT IF YOU EAT FEWER THAN A DOZEN THEY'RE REALLY HEALTHY FOR YOU. NATIONAL BAKERY CO-OWNER JEFF CALLEN ENJOYS THE RUSH EVERY YEAR... YESTERDAY THE GUYS CAME IN EARLY, WE'VE BEEN NONSTOP FOR ABOUT 18 STRAIGHT HOURS ON THE FRYER'S, FINISHING AND GLAZING AND ICING, AND YOU KNOW, ITS JUST BEEN A REALLY BIG BUILDUP, BUT ITS FUN. I THINK PEOPLE REALLY LIKE IT. 36-THOUSAND PACZKI'S WERE MADE THIS YEAR AT THE BAKERY...EVERYONE READY TO INDULGE...AT 16TH AND EUCLID, BEN HUTCHISON, WISN 12 NEWS THE TRADITION OF MAKING PACZKIS STARTED HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO ...BECAUSE IT WAS A WAY FOR FAMILIES TO GET RID OF INGREDIENTS LIKE SUGAR, FLOUR BEFORE LENT.